partial replacement of lead mains

[aido]

Hi,

The lead mains coming into my flat has sprung a leak and caused a bit of water damage. I'm in the process of deciding how best to fix it quickly and satisfactorily. To complicate matters we are in the middle of trying to sell the flat.

Rather than just replacing the damaged section with a bit of copper piping and passing it on to the buyer to worry about, I was thinking of cutting the lead pipe where it enters the house, under the floor near the front door and attaching MDPE pipe to it and then trying to thread this under the floor to the kitchen to where internal stopcock mets the internal copper pipes.

This way then future occupiers could decide to did a trench from external stopcock under ground to new pipe. I don't have the time to take property off the market to replace the complete lead mains or the money so I figure this would be a satisfactory solution.
Is there any problems with this approach and can the mdpe pipe be left lying under the floorboards in a free form like to original lead pipe as it will be hard to lift the wooden floors to clip the pipe in.

Cheers
Aido

 

[Slugbabydotcom]

Either fix the leak or renew the service.

It seems that you want to do half a job to try and make it look good or whatever. In my book that is what cowboy jobs are made of. As a buyer I would pick up on it and wonder how many other half a jobs you had done in the place.

 

[doitall]

You need to be a little carefull here as you are selling.

You can repair a leak on lead, but not, connect a service to a lead pipe.

 

[aido]

Hi

I was informed to fix the leak would involve cutting out the faulty bit of lead pipe and then using a lead lock to join the two pieces together. Surely removing all the lead pipe from inside the house right up to the point of entry into the house is better that leaving the lead pipe in place which will probably leak again in the future. Now I am not a plumber and I agree it is a half job but I think its better than trying to patch an old lead pipe.

Thanks for you input all the same.

 

[aido]

Hi Doitall,

Excuse my ignorance, but when you say I can't connect a service to a lead pipe, I presume you mean I cant connect the mdpe pipe to it and run that to stopcock in the kitchen which connects to the internal copper pipes. If so then whats the difference compared to what's already in place where the lead pipe connects already to the copper pipe?

Cheers
Aido

 

[doitall]

Agreed I would do the same, as repairing the lead is quite a simple job with a blowlamp and the right skills, getting the water out of the pipe to doit is another story.

 

[doitall]

Hi Doitall,

Excuse my ignorance, but when you say I can't connect a service to a lead pipe, I presume you mean I cant connect the mdpe pipe to it and run that to stopcock in the kitchen which connects to the internal copper pipes. If so then whats the difference compared to what's already in place where the lead pipe connects already to the copper pipe?

Cheers
Aido

Water regs Aido.

If the leaks was just outside for example you are allowed to repair it using a leadloc or Philmac universal coupler.

 

[Agile]

You cannot do a metal ( solder ) repair to any lead pipe.

However, you can do any repair by substituting copper or MDPE pipe as long as the connections to the lead is mechanical like a leadloc.

Be aware that if the property is not properly connected to an adequate earth then there may be fault currents flowing through the lead pipe. To prevent shocks you should use an earthing connector to join both parts of the lead pipe before you cut them.

Tony

 

[tamz]

getting the water out of the pipe to doit is another story.

You don't really need to if your mother makes you some sandwiches! But as Agile says you are not allowed to even if you have the skills.

Just do a leadloc repair and leave the rest of the pipe as is. That way you won't con the buyers into thinking the lead piping has been replaced.
Use a temp continuity bond when you cut the pipe. I've had more than a few "tingles" from water pipes.